MY CITY STORY: CAMPBELL'S WINNER

18 October 2015

As featured in our match-day programme 'The Bluebird', Mike Jenkins remembers his finest moment as a City fan.

"THE MARCH FROM NINIAN PARK. THE BUZZ, EXCITEMENT & UNITY. THE MILLENNIUM STADIUM. THAT WINNER. PROMOTION. CELEBRATIONS. TEARS. HISTORY."
“My first City game was against Leeds United in the FA Cup. The moment the players came out of the tunnel with the fans chanting ‘Bluebirds’, I caught the bug instantly.

“Other than that, the first, big, stand-out occasion for me as a City fan was the Play-Off Final against QPR in 2003.

“We weren’t season ticket holders at the time so weren’t entitled to the first batch of tickets, but then the Club released around 1000 more later on.

“We got the train from Barry around 7pm on the night before the tickets were released, deciding to skip off school the day after. When we arrived, we trekked down to the Grange End to camp outside overnight – we were the first in the queue!

“It was a bit cold, but then a car pulled up with some City fans who had both semi-final games against Bristol City recorded, so we watched that with them in the car. In the morning, they opened the gates and we had the nice, long walk around to the Ticket Office and got the tickets.

“It was pure dedication just to get some tickets back then, but obviously it was well worth it in the end.

“I went to the match with a good friend of mine. The game itself is a bit of a blur really. We marched from Ninian Park towards the Millennium Stadium and you could see banners in peoples’ windows on the way. There was a real community feel about having the final in our own city.

“The atmosphere was tremendous and, even though we got the tickets late, we were in the front row of the top tier, so the view we had was amazing. I’m not the tallest guy in the world so that was perfect for me!

“It was fate I think, playing at home. It was a perfect day and the atmosphere was something I’ll never forget.

“The goal suited the occasion well. The ball came over the top and he took it early, didn’t he? I think he caught the ‘keeper off guard.

“It was probably the first time that I cried tears of joy. I’d never understood what that meant before then, but I had tears in my eyes after Andy Campbell’s winner.”

Mike Jenkins

Have you got a Bluebirds memory that you'd like to share? CLICK HERE to find out how to submit your 140 character 'My City Story' entry.